If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.
– Albert Einstein
Happy February 15th friend. The past few weeks have been exciting here at Jo & Co. We have gotten 3 clients under contract on new construction, we just listed a home right off of Lake Conroe, and we have a few listings in the wind.
Right now marks one of the most exciting times in my short career of 8 years in real estate (lol) to buy a new construction home. Just to share one example with you, I have one client that received $34,000 in incentives that they could use how they choose. There are so many amazing communities all over Houston that offer unbelievable new construction opportunities.
Here are my 17 favorite new construction neighborhoods right now:
1. Grand Central Park, Conroe
2. Woodforest, Montgomery
3. The Woodlands Hills, Willis
4. The Highlands, Porter
5. Cross Creek Ranch, Fulshear
6. Amira, Tomball
7. Audubon, Magnolia
8. Bridgeland, Cypress
9. Cane Island, Katy
10. Dunham Pointe, Cypress
11. Elyson, Katy
12. Jordan Ranch, Fulshear/Katy
13. Lakes at Creekside, Tomball
14. Northgrove, Magnolia
15. Sienna, Missouri City
16. Towne Lake, Cypress
17. Woodtrace, Tomball
For a blog post series featuring my favorite master planned communities, click here.
If you are considering making a new construction purchase in 2023, right now might be the best time. I would love to spend some time with you on the phone or in person to help talk about your options and time line. So please reach out, if this is your situation.
I really hope you enjoy the warm days we have this week, and hopefully your new year’s resolutions are still in view. Please let me know if you need anything at all. Hugs. -Jo
P.S. If you have any friends, co-workers, or relatives that are thinking about buying or selling, we would love to help them.
– Jo
YouTube – How's the market? | Click below.
Instagram – Check out our new series “7 Days of The Woodlands” | Click below.
Blog Post – Best Master-Planned Communities of Spring, TX | Click below.
We currently have 4 active listings . Today I have one feature. Follow this link to see all of our listings.
Great opportunity to get into Lake Conroe living. This home is 1 bedroom and 1 bathroom. It sits on 2 large lots with a gated area in the back. It has a 100 sq ft screened-in the sitting room that can be easily converted to a 2nd bedroom, a large fully enclosed boat storage/shop with electricity & a small garden shack. The home is on a corner lot with lots of privacy. LCF includes a nice boat ramp that goes under 105. They also have small fishing lakes, a swimming lake, a playground & picnic tables. All RV's are allowed to be parked on the property. House has recent wide plank oak wood floors, large ceramic tile floors, recent sinks & countertops, some updated plumbing & water heater. All appliances can stay with the house including the recent dishwasher, w/d & refrigerator. Has 3 ceiling fans and 2 window units. LCF is at the heart of the lake with several restaurants & bars on the water. If you're looking for a peaceful home to enjoy the lake & have all the amenities this is it!
10 Neighborhoods to Watch in 2023
The 10 Cities Everyone is Moving to Outside of Houston
If you aren’t new around here, you know how much I love data. And if you are new around here, welcome. Today I am sharing with you the top 10 suburbs and cities of Houston, year to date.
1. Katy, TX.
2. Spring, TX.
3. Klein, TX.
4. Conroe, TX.
5. Cypress, TX.
6. Richmond, TX.
7. Tomball, TX.
8. Montgomery, TX.
9. Sugar Land, TX.
10. Fulshear, TX.
We will be updating our MOVE Index score each 1st of the month, and below you will see the February recap. “The MOVE Index”, is our rating system for the real estate that we have developed in-house. You can learn all about it here in our latest blog post, “What is the MOVE Index, and why is it important? You can learn all about it here in our latest blog post, “What is the MOVE Index, and why is it important?”
So to recap, the MOVE Index goes beyond the question, “Is it a buyers' market or a sellers' market?” We formulated it through four main categories, 10 subcategories, and 4 proprietary equations. Each category has a score of its own and is averaged with the other 3 categories to get the MOVE Index score.
The data collected takes into consideration every major financial burden a homeowner must deal with, from interest rates to gas prices. We also use real estate data that is only available to licensed Texas real estate agents. Just that alone makes us more accurate than any large-scale claims by Zillow, Realtor, Redfin, etc. Combined with consumer and producer indexes this not only gives us the most comprehensive real estate scoring system on the market, but it shows us which direction the market is trending.
The MOVE Index incorporates the current interest rates, housing affordability index (median-priced income / median-priced home), consumer price index, producing price index, sold data, active date, accumulative days on market, list price to sales price ratio, and equity gain year over year. Needless to say, we have on eye on more than just, the real estate market.
Now for what you have been waiting for, what does Jo & Co. rate our current market using the MOVE Index?
M – 6 = A six is just above the baselines (historic values used) for HAI and interest rates. This shows that there is no reason to avoid buying, but not the most optimal time in regard to interest rates and affordability.
O – 5 = This score represents the absolute baseline for a fair price of goods. The producer side has just recently dropped toa. reasonable rate.
V – 8 and 9, so 8.5 = This means that the prices and inventory are starting to benefit buyers.
E – 2 and 9, so 5.5 = This shows one of the worst equity gains year over year since 2008, but we still get back to a near baseline number since the cost of living in Houston is fantastic in comparison to the rest of the country.
So if we average these four numbers, we get a score of 6.5. Keep in mind five is an okay time to buy. What 6.5 means overall, is that if you are looking to buy, it is a good time to buy. Buyers are slightly favored, but quality listings are going fast. Some sellers might be reducing prices, and it is almost a coin toss (depending on home and location), who will be driving the negotiations. (Unless you were wanting new construction. The inventory is at record highs, and you can really get a deal with new construction inventory.)
And don't forget, that every other week, we publish market updates for 27 different neighborhoods and 19 different zip codes. You can always access those, by clicking this link.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read our newsletter. You can always read back issues over on our blog by clicking this link. What I want to leave you with today, is: have you ever checked out the online sermons that Faithbridge or The Woodlands Church puts online as podcasts? I personally attend Faithbridge weekly, but I love the fact that I can relisten to really let a sermon soak in. And midweek, I really love to refuel with Kerry Shook of The Woodlands Church, which can also be found the same way. <3
Thank you so much for allowing me to be your friend and resource. And my question of the day is, what is your word for this year? I don’t think I have shared my publicly, but it is “buffer”. As I entered adulthood and started having children, my father taught me something that had been passed on to him, and that is, “protect your ‘four walls’ first”. I personally just think “four walls” for simplicity sake, and four walls is a reference to the family members who live in your home. It is the strongest concept I have learned to live by. So in 2023 I have not only created boundaries but buffer between my four walls and the rest of the world. How about you? Hugs.
– Jordan Marie Schilleci, Jo & Co.
We are so happy you found our little corner of the interwebs. We look forward to y'all reaching out to us. We love to answer questions and welcome them. Recently we created some local maps, and you can download those by clicking the image/link above. Below, you will find an index of some very helpful information to assist you in learning more about the Houston suburbs. If you are relocating to our neck of the woods, we hope you reach out to us, because we would love to help you by being your local realtor and friend. Thoughtfully written for you. Hugs, Jo.
We are Waiting for You
If you are looking to relocate to the Houston Area, we would love to meet you and hear your story. Below you will find all of my contact information, as well as some homes for sale in the area. We truly look forward to hearing from you! P.S. Don't forget to check out our YouTube Channel!
If you are overwhelmed..
Now if you are feeling overwhelmed about where you should plant your roots, I would love to talk to you. You can schedule a call with me by clicking this link: http://byjoandco.com/call or just send us an email: [email protected]. There are some amazing communities all over the Houston suburbs. In this post, https://search.byjoandco.com/blog/best-neighborhoods-in-houston/, I deep dive into all the different suburbs/neighborhoods that you might want to consider, and why. There are many resources here, so please reach out if you are curious about what to look at next! Thank you for trusting us.
What next?!
• Navigate our Blog: https://byjoandco.com/categories-to-help-you-navigate-the-blog/
• Download our Moving to Texas ebook! http://byjoandco.com/movingtotexasebook.
• Download our Where to Live in Houston Texas ebook! http://byjoandco.com/wheretoliveebook.
• Browse our Ebooks and Relocation Guides: http://byjoandco.com/ebooks
• Schedule a phone call or appointment with us! http://byjoandco.com/appointment.
• Email us! [email protected].
• Looking for a buyer’s agent? Fill out our buyer questionnaire! http://byjoandco.com/q.
• Ready to find your dream home? Search, http://search.byjoandco.com.
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: http://byjoandco.com/youtube.
